Indignation

2016

Drama

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Synopsis

Set in 1951, the story follows Marcus Messner, the idealistic son of a humble kosher butcher from Newark, N.J. Marcus leaves for Ohio to study at a small, conservative college, where he finds himself at odds with the administration, grapples with anti-Semitism and sexual repression and pines after a troubled girl.

Set in 1951, the story follows Marcus Messner, the idealistic son of a humble kosher butcher from Newark, N.J. Marcus leaves for Ohio to study at a small, conservative college, where he finds himself at odds with the administration, grapples with anti-Semitism and sexual repression and pines after a troubled girl.

Movie Reviews

the more things change ...

Greetings again from the darkness. Quite often, Hollywood "period
pieces" feel dated and somewhat irrelevant to our world today ? as if
they were a snapshot from an old magazine. But the best ones transport
us to a different era while also serving up themes and characters that
are just as interesting and germane today as then ? and that's what we
have here.First time director James Schamus (founder of Focus Features) is an
Oscar nominated producer (Brokeback Mountain) and writer (Crouching
Tiger, Hidden Dragon), and he tackles the popular 2008 Philip Roth
novel ? one that the 83 year old novelist admits to being influenced by
his own college years. Mr. Roth has been writing novels for more than
50 years and won the Pulitzer Prize for his 1997 "American Pastoral".Taking on the lead role of college-bound Marcus Messner is Logan Lerman
? an actor who has been on screen since he was 8 years old, and seems
to have the eternal youth DNA so sought after by Ponce de Leon. While
his looks haven't changed much since the "Percy Jackson" films or the
excellent The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Lerman shines here as the
working class Newark Jewish boy, smothered by his parents, and as naive
to the world as he is academically gifted.It's 1951 and too many neighborhood boys are arriving back home in pine
boxes after serving in the Korean War. Marcus' father (Danny Burstein)
is a kosher butcher and is half of the hyper-cautious parental unit
that is alternatively thankful and frightened that their son is
avoiding serving in the military by heading off to ultra-conservative
(and fictional) Winesburg College in Ohio.Once on campus, Marcus discovers little of the hoped-for freedom.
Mandatory chapel attendance, roommates assigned via religious leanings,
and the expectations of joining the Jewish fraternity and hanging out
with his own kind combine to be only a different kind of emotional
stifling than what he had at home. A series of events serve to shake up
Marcus and his beliefs. Date night with his dream girl from the library
ends with him being both repulsed and enchanted by a sexually assertive
Olivia (Sarah Gadon). An argument with his lughead roommates ends with
his being given the worst dorm room on campus. Meeting with the College
Dean (Tracy Letts) results in an exhilarating debate that will surely
be treasured by all who adore wordplay and oratory sword-fighting.
Finally, an emergency appendectomy brings a hospital visit from Marcus'
mother (Linda Emond), and a conversation that drastically alters the
course of his life.The conservative social mores of the 1950's are on full display, as is
the restlessness of the young who would change society forever. Fear
would be replaced with daring, and the film does a terrific job of
highlighting how revolution often comes at a high price. Bookended by
war scenes that dramatize the fine line between civilized society and
the brutality of war, it all comes together ? bringing more power and
poignancy to the two best scenes: as previously mentioned, Letts and
Lerman go mano y mano in arguing the brilliance of Bertrand Russell,
and their word battle highlights the age-old idealist vs. real world
struggles; a mother-son scene towards the end is as heart-breaking as
any we're likely to see on screen this year. Mr. Letts, Ms. Emond and
Ms. Gadon all work well with Logan Lerman in order to provide an
excellent presentation of Roth's novel and Schamus' first film.

Reviewed by LJ's Movies9 / 10

LJ's QR: Logan Lerman's Best Performance

LJ'S QUICK MOVIE REVIEW"Indignation", set in 1951, follows the story of Marcus (Logan Lerman)
and his struggles with love and religion. Although his parents Jewish,
Marcus is an atheist and often is at odds with his family, school, and
community. However, when he meets another student named Olivia Hutton
(Sarah Gadon), everything changes.The movie does an excellent job of portraying the challenging ethical
and romantic complications Marcus has to face in his daily life. His
character is extremely well- developed and well-written as he has
moments of self-doubt, self-discovery, and emotional conflict. Although
the movie does have moments of humor, its general tone is somber.Overall, the riveting movie's simple premise is elevated by the great
chemistry between the leading actors and the immersing quality of the
filmography. As Marcus tries to discover who he wants to be in life, we
get a chance to reflect on who we are as well. At its heart, the movie
is a captivating journey that explores its protagonist's identity and
goals in a heartfelt way.LJ's Grade: BIf you found this quick review helpful, please visit LJ's Movie Facts
on Facebook.

Reviewed by phd_travel9 / 10

Some of the most outstanding dialog in a movie

It's so good to watch a movie where the dialog is outstanding - funny
heartbreaking, frustrating and meaningful. Really listen to the dialog.
There are some scenes which are just so outstanding - the first meeting
in the dean' office and then when the mother talks to her son about his
father and then his girlfriend. The characters are not stereotypical.
The Jewish protective father instead of mother is an interesting thing
to watch. Although the issues are 50s issues, this is not an old
fashioned or irrelevant movie. The acting is so good I only thought
about the themes and message of the story later on.Logan Lerman's sensitive face is just right for this role. The
character could seem stubborn and annoying if another actor had played
him, but Logan has a likability that overcomes that. Sarah Gadon as the
girl he loves is fascinating to watch as the well mannered but damaged
beauty. An unforgettable character. Tracy Letts as the dean plays it
just right - not a caricature of conservatism but another fascinating
creature to watch. Linda Emond is restrained and effective as the
worried mother.This is a serious movie with some unexpected humor in between. A must
watch - one of the best dramas in recent years.

Reviewed by Paul Allaer9 / 10

Well-written and well-acted drama about college life in the early 50s

"Indignation" (2016 release; 110 min.) brings the early 1950s story of
Marcus, a Jersey Jewish kid who's about to go off to college in Ohio.
When an older woman learns of this, she responds: "Ohio? How will you
keep kosher there?", ha! It's not long before Marcus arrives at the
(fictional) Winesburg College in north-central Ohio, where Marcus
immerses himself in his studies. But one evening, while working at the
library, he notices a strikingly beautiful student. After summoning all
of his courage, he finally asks her out for a date... At this point
we're not even 15 min. into the movie, but to tell you more would spoil
your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it
all plays out.Couple of comments: this is the big screen adaptation of the Philip
Roth novel. I haven't read the book so I cannot comment how closely the
movie adaptation sticks to the book. This is also the debut of director
James Schamus, best know for previously having co-written several of
Ang Lee's movies, including "The Ice Storm". Here Schamus brings to
life what things were like in the US while the Korean war was raging.
Marcus didn't choose to go to college so as to avoid the draft, but
because he just loves learning. It is what gives Marcus his identity.
However, encountering Olivia changes all that. The movie moves at a
slow pace (and I mean that as a complement), certain scenes literally
take minutes and minutes to play out. There are several such scenes
that are key to the film (Marcus' meeting with the Dean of Students
seems to take up at least 10 minutes), allowing plenty of time to
examine subject like religious freedom and the at times stifling
academic settings on campus. Schamus is able to extract great
performances from the leads, Logan Lerman as Marcus and Sarah Gadon as
Olivia. But Trace Letts (better known as the Pulitzer Prize-winning
writer of such (screen)plays as "Killer Joe" and "August: Osage County"
) almost steals the movie as the Dean of Students."Indignation" premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival to major
critical acclaim. The movie finally opened this weekend at my local
art-house theater here in Cincinnati, and I couldn't wait to see it.
The Saturday early evening screening was PACKED, much to my surprise,
Who knew there was such a pent-up demand for this film? The audience
absolutely loved the film. It might well be that "Indignation" can
become a solid hit on the art-house theater circuit. If you are in the
mood for a well-written and well-acted drama about being in college in
the early 50s, this movie is just for you. "Indignation" is HIGHLY
RECOMMENDED!